This week, Whitewall is in London for the Spring/Summer 2020 collections at London Fashion Week. Here, we’re sharing what’s new from Victoria Beckham, Simone Rocha, and Wen Pan.
Fusing a romanticized 1990s grunge with the spirit of oriental recluses, Wen Pan’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection was introduced in the Victoria House on a runway strewn with flower clippings and fabric remnants from the season’s designs. Deconstructed silhouettes of flowing layers and raw hems were the staple of the season celebrating confidence in imperfection. There were looks like a long white dress with a deteriorating handkerchief skirt and a take on a knit skirt suit in with large patches of frayed plaid incorporated into a trailing train. An airy palette including several shades of white, beige, and teal blue offered a pleasant take on edgy plaid, floral, and tie-dye. Everything was accompanied by a selection of loafers, boots, and lace-up sandals, each tied around the ankle with raw fabric laces and strings.
Courtesy of Simone Rocha.
Victoria Beckham infused its own DNA into an amalgamation of references from the past. Suits were masculine in cut and vintage in style, including long, lean, high-waisted trousers; high-necked blouses and turtlenecks, and wide-lapelled jackets worn with matching calf-length skirts. Dresses were a romantic event this season, featuring feminine frills, deep-v necklines adorned with fabric flowers, and swinging hems that fall below the knee. Prints included several variations of plaids and florals, a multicolor stripe, and a scrawling cursive pattern, while the color palette was based in earthy neutrals with the addition of brighter hues like Kelly green, purple, and aqua. Each look was complimented by a sleek bun and presented on the marble runway of a stately indoor courtyard.
Simone Rocha returned for the Spring/Summer 2020 season with its usual voluminous dress reminiscent of another time, this year presented within the Victorian theatre in Alexandra Palace, which was built in 1875. With Ireland and the Irish Wren Boys (children who go out hunting the Wren on St. Stephen’s Day) as the season’s starting point, the collection alluded to imagery of peeling wallpaper, broken china, and youngsters dancing through the town in elements like dusty blue silk taffeta, embroidered ivory tulle, and patchworked organza. Some gowns were layered with tulle and lace, suggestive of the feathers of a Wren; others were covered in glittering red sequins or trimmed in eyelet lace and gathered ruffles. Pearls adorned each look, seen in the form of earrings and bracelets, embroidered onto the hems of pants, braided into long strands of straw jewelry, and even in the form of a round pearlescent clutch bag.
Courtesy of Simone Rocha.
